Daddy's Angels
by N.V.9
Summary: No one knows what they have until it is taken away. Now Sasuke must prove to Naruto that he still loves him and is willing to become the man he needs to be again if he wants his spouse, his son, and his unborn child back.
1. Chapter 1

**1**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Menma sat quietly on his bed, his little legs dangling over the edge while his little hands rested on his knees. With a bowed head, he sniffled trying hard not to cry. He was a big boy now. He was already in headstart and he had heard from his new best friend that only babies cry.

Rubbing roughly at his eyes, Menma tried to make out the sounds of his parents muffled yelling. He wasn't sure why they were fighting, he just wanted them to stop. He wanted them to be happy again. To kiss and hug each other and then hug and kiss him too. He wanted his Mama to come tickle him and his Daddy to let him sit on his lap as he read the newspaper. He wanted to watch the little tv in the kitchen as his parents made dinner, and he wanted to help his Mama dry and put the dishes away as his Daddy washed them. He wanted them to come comfort him and tell him everything was going to be okay.

He didn't want to hear anything else breaking or things being thrown as his parents fought. He didn't want his Daddy to leave again, slamming the door as he left, nor did he want his Mama to cry softly as he picked up the mess they made.

Hearing a thump on the wall, Menma jumped. Their voices were getting closer. Coming to his room. They were happy once upon a time, and now every time his Daddy came home, his parents were always fighting.

"I'm sick of this!" his Mama yelled, his footsteps making loud noises.

"You think this is what I want to come home too!" His Daddy snapped, coming behind his Mama. "You think I want to live this way!"

"No," his Mama said right outside his door. "I know exactly how you want to live."

With a twist of the knob, the door swung open and his Mama came in. Menma normally loved to see his Mama with his pretty blonde hair bouncing everywhere. Loved seeing the lights reflecting off his pretty blue eyes. Everyone said that if it wasn't for his own dark hair and eyes, he would look exactly like his Mama, he even had the birthmarks on his cheeks.

With a forced smile, his Mama came to him, holding his arms out and quickly picked him up, one hand under his bottom and the other against the back of his head.

"What the hell are you doing, Naruto?" His Daddy demanded from the doorway. Turning his head, Menma saw his Daddy standing there as big as a giant. His pale skin flushed red as he wore his work clothes, grease streaking it so badly that the overalls no longer looked blue.

"I'm giving you the life you pretend to have." his Mama answered in anger, the smile on his face lacking all joy. "You want a life without a family, then you can have one." with that his Mama, pushed passed his Daddy, ignoring the demands for them to stop. With quick steps, the stairs disappeared under his Mama feet.

"Naruto, don't you dare walk through that door!" His Daddy roared, following them quickly. "Naruto, that's my son!"

"No, Sasuke," his Mama said, turning quickly, forcing Menma to face the open front door. "He's my son." turning once more, his Mama stalked out of the house, the keys in hand. Hearing a beep, Menma turned away from his Daddy's face, and found himself placed in his booster seat.

"Naruto!" his Daddy shouted, running toward them. "Don't you dare take Menma from me!" he shouted.  
"How can I take someone away that...No, I'm not going to throw out all of this in front of my son." his Mama shook his head, pulling the door closed.

"Naruto please. Look, Let's go inside and talk this out. Please!" his Daddy begged as he tried to open the door, finding it locked. "Naruto-"

"I'm done playing second to everything else." His Mama said, his voice sounding odd to Menma's ears. "I'm done taking the blame for everything not being right in your world. I don't know how many times you want me to say I'm sorry for everything. Do you think I meant to get pregnant in highschool? To stop you from going off to your ivy league? You think I meant for you to start working straight after highschool? That I meant for us to live off of what little money we make and what our parents help us out with? God, Sasuke. I didn't fuck up your life!" Menma gasped as his Mama cursed. He had never heard his Mama curse, nor had he ever seen his Mama cry. "I didn't ask for any of this! The only good thing that came out of this, wasn't the quicky wedding that _you_ demanded and I went along with because I loved you. No, the only good thing that came out of this was _my_ son."

With a shake of his head, his Mama pushed his Daddy away when his Daddy tried to hug him. As the driver's door open, Menma stayed quiet. His Daddy begged and demanded for his Mama to get out of the car, but his Mama just ignored him.

"Naruto, stop! Just stop! This game isn't funny!" His Daddy shouted, once more trying to open the door beside Menma. "Unlock the door!"

Instead of answering, his Mama started the car and slowly started to back out. Menma felt his own tears falling as his Daddy moved beside him, banging on the window with tears running down his face. "Naruto!" his Daddy shouted. In answer, his Mama continued to drive, pausing briefly to go forward. "Naruto!" his Daddy screamed, running along beside them, holding onto the handle of the van. "I love you, Menma!" His daddy shouted, slowly falling behind. "Daddy loves you." his Daddy cried as he lost his balance and fell to his knees. Turning his head, Menma saw his Daddy watching the van, screaming for them to stop.

"Mama?" Menma said, sniffling again as he wiped at his eyes.

"It's okay, Imp," his Mama said, smiling at him in the rear view mirror. "We're going to go on a little vacation. It'll be fun."

"Is Daddy going to come?" Menma asked, knowing the answer already.

"Not this time, Imp." His Mama said thickly. "I love you, Menma."

"I love you too, Mama."

DA

Naruto layed beside Menma on the queen size bed. It was passed twelve, four hours passed Menma's bed time. The hotels lights lit up the room in a soft red glow, blinking every five seconds as it declared vancancy. He could have gone to a friends house or to his Dad's, but Naruto knew that Sasuke would look at all of their places. Right now he didn't want to be found. Didn't want to deal with his friends and family looking at him in pity as their marriage fell to pieces.

Feeling Menma move beside him, Naruto kissed his head and ran a comforting hand down his son's back in gentle circles. Not seconds later his son calmed down and continued to sleep, his little hands hugging Naruto's left hand to his chest.

How had he gotten so lucky as to get a beautiful child like this one? To get this little priceless angel in his arms? Why couldn't Sasuke just be happy with the way things were going? Why couldn't he understand that school was still there and he could start anytime he wanted?

Why couldn't he just love them the way he did in the beginning? At that, Naruto choked back a sob, bitting his lip to keep himself from crying out. When did it change? No, why did it change, Naruto knew the when. It was only two months ago, that Sasuke had stopped being loving. Had stopped being the guy Naruto had fallen in love with. He stopped being home on time, started staying out, and coming home to fight. Had started blaming Naruto for everything. Naruto had put up with it, believing that whatever it was could be fixed. He had allowed Sasuke to yell at him, to break their things, hell Naruto had yelled back. Even then they would go to bed, sometimes together and sometimes Sasuke slept on the couch.

But all that changed when Naruto had heard from Sakura, seen the picture his best friend had showed him of Sasuke having dinner with someone else. That someone else was none other then Sasuke's ex-girlfriend, Karin. The girl Sasuke had left when they had gotten together. In the picture the two were sitting close together, laughing over something as Karin rested a hand on Sasuke's thigh.

Just thinking of that picture broke his heart all over again. He almost wished Sakura wasn't the good friend she was, that she would have kept it to herself instead. All day the picture had ate at him, made him wonder how long Sasuke was seeing Karin and if... if they had gone to bed together. And how many times did Sasuke go to her bed and then come home to his?

Slowly he pulled his arm free of Menma's little hold, putting a pillow in it's place as he tucked him in. Moving toward the bathroom, he rested his hands against the sink and allowed himself to cry. To think he was bringing in another little soul to a life that was already falling to pieces.


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"So how long are you planning on hiding out?" Deidara asked, blowing off a puff of smoke into the warm sunny morning. With his long blonde hair tied back in a messy bun and his clothes slightly rumpled, Deidara looked like a guy that just woke up. And since Naruto had arrived with Menma at seven in the morning, fifteen minutes ago, he knew that was the case.

"Those are going to kill you." Naruto said in answer, plucking the cigarette from Deidara's fingers and squishing it on the floor with the toe of his shoe.

"I'm still breathing," Deidara rolled his eyes as he reached into his sweatshirt and grabbed another. With practice ease, he once more took another puff. "You know, Menma has to go to school."

"I called in today for him." Naruto sighed, looking through the back window and spotting his son sitting on the couch beside Deidara's three kids and a bulldog named Tobi. Each of them were from different dads. Not that Deidara was a slut or anything. Deidara had only had four relationships in his twenty-four years of life. With each one, he had given it his all and ended up alone in all but one. But with each failed attempt, Deidara liked to say he came away with a golden egg, as he called each of his children.

Gaara was his oldest son at five and a half. His father, Sasori, was Deidara's first lover. Both had met senior year in highschool, when Sasori had moved to Deidara's school. A few months after Deidara turned eighteen, and only a week after they graduated, Gaara was created. Upon finding out, Sasori had told Deidara everything would be okay. Come the fall, Sasori had taken off to college and Deidara had stayed behind and went to the community college. It took almost four years before Sasori came back to finally meet Gaara, but by then, Deidara had already moved on and Gaara was already calling another man Daddy. Though hurt about this, Sasori knew it was his fault, and after a few days of seeing Gaara and telling him he was his uncle to not confuse or hurt him, Sasori had left back home, unable to take being uncle instead of daddy. If he called or contacted Gaara, Naruto didn't know and Deidara wasn't saying.

Shin was Deidara's second son at only four. When Deidara had been five months pregnant with Gaara, he had met Hidan. Hidan, despite Deidara being pregnant, had persued Deidara endlessly. The day he had taken Deidara to the hospital and stayed throughout the whole birthing process was the day Deidara and he had started their relationship. When Deidara went to school, Hidan would take care of Gaara and then when Deidara would get home, Hidan would go to work. Hidan and Deidara had been attached at the hip. So it wasn't long before Deidara became pregnant with Shin. Of course before either realized that Deidara was pregnant, their relationship soured and ended. Why it did, Naruto didn't know and Deidara wouldn't say, in fact both refused to say why they ended it. Hidan, though a bit rough around the edges and at odds with Deidara, was there for his own son's birth. Even now, Hidan, despite being in another relationship with someone named Haku, would take both Shin and Gaara to his place for the weekened and randomly pick them up and take them out, so that they could play with his own year old son with Haku, Sumaru.

Shisui was Deidara's youngest at only two. After his previous failed relationships, Deidara had taken a bit of time to get back into the dating game. He had put school and his kids first, until Naruto had forced him to start thinking about himself. It was Naruto that had set up Deidara with Sasuke's cousin, Obito. Both had argued upon first meeting. They had argued upon their second meeting. And on their third, both decided they liked each other. In their fifth month together, Deidara and Obito had even rented an apartment and got a dog for Shin and Gaara. Both had talked about marriage and having another baby. Obito was a great step-father to both boys and on good terms with everyone in both their lives. Seven months into the relationship, Obito was hit by a drunk driver. Two days after his funeral, Deidara found out he was pregnant again. The day Shisui was born, no one had been there. Everyone had found out about the birth a few days later, when Hidan had went to drop the boys back off with Deidara, on Sunday, and found a new born baby sleeping on the couch.

It didn't take long for news to spread and Obito's family to arrive at Deidara's doorstep. And out of all of them, only one Uchiha had made it a point to go see Shisui everyday. Itachi had taken on the role of a father to the little guy, getting him everything he needed and providing Deidara with support of various kinds. In fact, only three months ago, Itachi had adopted Shisui as his own and both he and Deidara had left the apartment and bought a house. If they planned to have more kids, Naruto didn't know. He knew Itachi didn't mind either way and Deidara was on the mind set; if it happens, it happens. He had asked Deidara if he planned to marry Itachi, but his cousin would only shrug and say who knows. Even if Deidara loved Itachi now, Obito had been his first real love. Itachi understood that and had explained that Deidara didn't have to force anything between them. He rather have Deidara real with a pinch of love then have Deidara fake everything between them. Itachi had said that eventually Deidara would love him as much as the blonde had loved Obito. As much as Itachi loved Deidara, and he was willing to wait as long as needed for it to happen.

"Don't Gaara and Shin have school?"

"Gaara's on B schedual this week," Deidara said in answer, "And Shin has his check up at nine." Crushing his cigarette against a plate left on the patio table, Deidara frowned. "So what happened?"

"Did he come here?" Naruto asked, looking away from the kids giggling at the tv, shouting out the answer to every question asked as Tobi woofed with them.

"Came banging at three in the morning. Woke the dog, who woke the kids. Spent the rest of the morning telling them that you and Menma were fine." Deidara said, leaning against the wall of the house.

Sighing, Naruto ran his hands over his face tiredly. "We got into another fight... I don't think there's any fixing this anymore. Before we'd fight and go to bed, but... Deidara, it's different now."

"Why?"

"I... He cheated on me." Naruto finally answered, wanting to start crying again. "I believed when he told me he was working late, but then he started smelling like booze and I thought he was just hanging with his friends. Sakura saw him with another girl, with Karin of all people."

"That skank from school?" Deidara said with raised brows. "When the hell did that happen?"

"When all the problems started." Naruto said, not bothering to deny the skank part. She might as well be one if she was sleeping with a married man. "Last I knew, Karin was in Harvard. I didn't even know she was back in town."

"Naruto have you told Sasuke about the baby?" Deidara asked, looking away for Naruto to try and compose himself, giving him some portion of privacy. He and Naruto were the same, they didn't want comfort, didn't want to be held. They only wanted someone to listen as they spoke, not to be cuddled. Even if instincts were telling him to hold his cousin, Deidara wouldn't. Naruto wouldn't like it anymore then he would.

"No," Naruto said, forcing the words out as he sat heavily on the patio chair. "I was going to but, this happened... Now... I don't know anymore. I love him, I trusted him, I gave him so much of me. I thought we were happy. We just celebrated our anniversary three months ago. I don't... Oh god, I don't know what to do." he sobbed, crying into his arms. He hated to cry, hated to feel so weak. He had only cried once in his life, on the day his son was born. He had never felt so lost and confused. Everyone said he had a strong go-happy personality. That he was the one to lift your spirits and help out with anything. That nothing brought him down and that he could make it through anything. He had believed that, believed all of it, but now... look at him. "Oh god, Deidara, what do I do? It's not only me and Menma anymore. What about my baby?"

DA

"You haven't heard from him?" Sasuke asked tiredly, rubbing his hand over his jaw. He needed a shave, he needed a shower, hell he needed his family back. He had no idea where the hell they were. If they were okay, he hoped they were. He knew Naruto had called the school to excuse Menma. He had waited outside Menma's headstart just incase and when the van never showed up, he had called the office. The office had explained Menma's absents, and Sasuke had only said that he was making sure Naruto had called to excuse his son. "Okay, if you hear from him, please call me." he went on. "Thank you, Shika. Bye."

Hanging up the phone, he crossed out Shikamaru's name. All morning, after running around the city the whole night, he had been on the phone calling everyone, asking and begging for anything on Naruto. He had gone through his whole contact list and, aside from filing a missing person report, he didn't know what to do now.

Letting his head fall back, Sasuke looked at the ceiling with tired eyes. He remembered the day he and Naruto had rented this apartment like house. Naruto loved it because it was next to everything. Menma's school was only two blocks away. The park was a block the other way. The store three blocks behind their house. A Y.M.C.A only seven minutes away. Sasuke liked it because the neighborhood was safe and doors could be left unlocked here. Everyone here knew everyone, so if by chance Menma decided to go play with the Hyuga boy two apartments down the street, Sasuke or Naruto would know right away.

"Naruto..." he whispered, wishing his lover would walk through the door or call him. Would do anything just to let him know he was okay. He knew he was pushing it, knew he was forcing an issue out of something that Naruto had no control over. God he was such an ass, but seeing Karin months ago when she came to visit her mom, he was reminded of what he gave up. He gave up his future for his little family. He, the head of his class, had kissed college good-bye when Naruto told him he was pregnant. Even as he gave the speech required of him at their graduation, one that Naruto had not been part of since he had missed quite a few classes and lost credits as he puked his morning classes away at home, Sasuke knew that the words he was using to encourage his class were nothing but hot air now.

At first he had accepted it. Had accepted it as he held Naruto in his arms at night and felt his baby kicking. His father had been disappointed in him, being the chief of police created an image and Sasuke had marged it. Itachi had went to college and majored in History. He had gone to MIT, got every degree possible for History. But instead of putting his degrees to good use, Itachi had simply ignored it as he opened a greenhouse, selling flowers, trees, fruits, vegetables, bushes, and every other plant he could get his hands on. His business, though small, was booming. Even then his father had allowed it, because Itachi was successful. Sasuke worked on motors for a living. He wasn't even the boss or a manager, just a normal mechanic, who got paid a few cents above minimum wage.

But for a time, he didn't care. He didn't care that Naruto worked as a clerk at the grocery store. He had everything he wanted... but then Karin came back. Karin brought his lost future point blank and Sasuke had saw the what ifs.

What if he had ignored his little crush on Naruto? What if he had never broke it off with Karin, his girlfriend of two years, hurting her in the process, and asked Naruto to a movie a week later? What if he had kept his mind on his grades and his goals in his mind? What if he had went on to college along side Karin? What if he had married her instead? What if...

The what if's kept popping up. Each time he ignored one, another popped up. It was to the point where anger had pulsed everytime he had seen Naruto. Everytime he had seen his lover come to him, smile at him, kiss him. Everytime he had loved him, Sasuke felt his anger growing.

This life he had wasn't supposed to be his. Wasn't supposed to be real. This had to be a dream. A nightmare.

And the only one that made it better was... Karin. Karin had been the sun on a rainy day. The time he spent with her, he could pretend. He could pretend the dinners they had were really expensive. That the clothes he wore, were worth thousands instead of ten or thirty dollars. That the clothing she wore, he had bought her. He could pretend that her car was actually his. That he was going to go back to Harvard to get the next portion of his degree. That he was going to be a lawyer too.

But like ice water, he would wake up when Karin dropped him off at his car, leaving him to have to change his clothes and then drive home as if arriving from work. In anger he'd go visit a bar first then go and his rage would explode when he saw Naruto waiting up for him.

Standing to get some water, Sasuke looked out the back window, spotting Menma's little orange ball. God he missed his son, missed his little angel. The way Menma would always run to him when he got home. The way he'd sit with him as Sasuke watched tv or read the paper. He missed Menma trying to read little children's books to him, getting angry when Sasuke pronounced a word for him that he was struggling on.

What was he thinking? How stupid was he? Why did he do it? Why did he... On all of his dates that he had went on with Karin, never once had it gone beyond that. They talked about everything but his life, they laughed about whatever they found amusing, but he had never even kissed her. He had thought about it, thought about just reaching over the table and pulling her close, but as he found his hand reaching out, he'd see his gold band, and his hand would reach for the wine glass instead.

On their last date, the one that finally opened his eyes, Karin had been sitting next to him, closer then should have been approriate. He never even noticed when her hand had rested on his thigh, never even noticed when she leaned closer. But when her lips hovered over his mouth, he had been stunned. He had pushed her away, made up some half assed excuse, and ran from her. Outside he had tried to understand what the hell had just happened. What the hell he was doing. His heart had started to beat like crazy, his throat had clogged up, and his vision had narrowed until the only thing he saw was a familiar form, sitting in a waiting car, watching him. In stunned silence, he had recieved the icy glare sent his way from Naruto's best friend. The clothes she wore showing she had been on a date, most likely within the same building. Without so much as a word, Sakura had pulled out her phone and drove off.

It was then that Sasuke had reacted. His first thought was to call Naruto, but his phone had been left in his car twenty minutes away. He had called a taxi to take him to his car. Had called Naruto the second he got his phone out of the glove box, but his lover wasn't answering. His phone kept going to voicemail.

At that moment Sasuke realized that Naruto knew. That Sakura had told him before Sasuke could explain. He had never driven so fast in his life to get home. He had parked at the curb, saw the van still there, and thought for a split second, he might have a chance.

Instead he had went inside to see Naruto sitting on the couch, tears in his eyes and anger clearly on his face. He had opened his mouth to explain but Naruto had beat him to the punch line. Had demanded if it was true. Sasuke didn't even know what his answer was, because the next thing he knew, he was losing his lover of six years and his baby boy was watching him as if he were a stranger. As if he was the monster.

"I'm sorry." he said softly wishing Naruto could hear him and come home. Wishing to hear Menma's laughter upstairs as Naruto took him a bath. "Please come home to me." he sobbed into his fist. "Please, I'm so sorry. Please." he cried falling to his knees, his hands holding onto the counter as he turned so that his back was against the glossed cupboard. "Naruto!" he sobbed, "Oh god, Naruto!"

**A/N: You can't have a story without Deidara. It's like an unsaid rule.**


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Naruto watched his house with unblinking eyes. Trying to decide if his stuff was worth getting out or not. Menma needed clothes for school. His son couldn't keep borrowing from Deidara's kids. Taking a breath, he eased his van into drive and pulled into the driveway. Sasuke's car wasn't here, so he knew Sasuke wasn't here either.

Which he couldn't decide if it was good or not. In one hand he was glad his husband was gone, meaning he didn't have to see him. But in the other he wondered if their marriage wasn't even important enough for his husband to miss work for, or if he was off with Karin celebrating being free of him.

"Stop being so stupid." he told himself as he unbuckled his seat belt and opened his door. "Just get what you need until you find a place to stay." and where would that be? Naruto asked himself as he let himself into his house. His dad? He may have loved the man, but Minato barely had room for himself let alone for Naruto, Menma, and the unborn child. He couldn't stay with Deidara because of Itachi. Knowing Itachi as he did, the older Uchiha would try everything in his power to get him to go home. Hell, he'd tell Sasuke right away where he was, wanting only the best for them all.

He couldn't go to his friends either. All of his friends were Sasuke's friends and their loyalty was spread between the two, so he was more then likely they'd say something to make things work between them, sending Naruto back to a marriage he wasn't even sure was real anymore.

He couldn't go to Sakura's either, her apartment wasn't even made with children in mind. She had offered him a place to stay but with all of her glass vases and valuables, he knew Menma would break them in a day as he played.

Looking around the familiar yet foreign room, Naruto wanted to start crying again, it felt like years instead of just the three days since he had been gone. He wanted to blame it on the pregnancy for making him so emotional but knew deep down it was just the memories that brought the tears on. All of those happy years flying through him.

Him and Sasuke as they ran through the house with Menma chasing them with a blow up bat from the fair.

He saw Sasuke sitting on the couch, fast asleep as Menma slept in his arms, a little teddy bear in hand. He saw himself with Sasuke as they tried to keep quiet and not wake Menma when they made love on the living room floor. In the kitchen he saw himself beside his husband as they made dinner and Menma handing them the ingrediants they needed. He saw Menma in his high chair so many years ago and Sasuke covered in baby food, a shocked look on his face.

Holding back a sob, Naruto moved quickly up the stairs, toward Menma's room. Pulling his son's suitcase from under the bed, he placed it on the bed and started sorting through clothes. He placed all of Menma's favorite shirts in first, followed by some matching pants and shorts to complete the outfits. He grabbed a few different pjs from the hangers and then moved to the dresser. Inside he pulled out a weeks worth of under clothes and socks, tucking each item in gently.

"Naruto,"

At the sound of his name, Naruto jumped and spun around. His heart freezing at the look of hope in Sasuke's otherwise broken expression. Sasuke hadn't shaved in what looked like days, his eyes were bloodshot and his clothes were all rumbled. Naruto wanted so badly to run to his husband and to go on like before, but he couldn't. Not after...

"I'm just getting a few things." Naruto said in answer, stuffing a bullfrog pillow into the suitcase as he zipped it up.

"You don't need to do this. Naruto, nothing happened between me and her." Sasuke started.

"I don't care, Sasuke." Naruto lied as he lifted the suitcase. "You can live the way you want. Menma-"

"Please Naruto," Sasuke started again, moving toward him. "I've been worried sick about you both. I've called everyone, drove everywhere. I haven't slept in days, Naruto. Please, I love you. Please come back."

"No," Naruto said softly, stepping back from Sasuke as he held the suitcase to his chest. "No." he said more firmly even though he wished to cry. "I would have come back. I want to come back," Naruto admitted, "But I can't. I can't just jump into things anymore. I can't just run into your arms or turn to you anymore. I want so badly to fix us, but I'm not even sure it's worth fighting for. I can't trust you anymore, Sasuke." Naruto finished, shoving past him to grab some of his own clothes. "I want to trust you, I want so badly to go back to the way we were before, but I can't. Not now."

"Why not?" Sasuke demanded, "Why can't we-"

"Because we just can't. It'll be like me going behind your back to see an ex of mine too!" Naruto shouted, turning to face his husband. "What would you have done had I been with-"

"You don't have an ex!" Sasuke growled. "I was your first real relationship! I was the one you kissed first!I was the one who took you on your first date! I was the one..."

"Who took my virgnity?" Naruto questioned when Sasuke stopped. "And I'm sure you regret it now."

"I don't! Naruto-"

"If you had never done that, you wouldn't be with me and you wouldn't have to sneak around to see Karin." Naruto cut him off, forcing back his tears. "You wouldn't have me to take care of or even Menma trying to be you-"

"I don't regret any of that!" Sasuke snapped. "Stop saying it as if I regret-"

"No, you regret that I'm not Karin. That I got pregnant our first time together. You regret that you took that one step and changed your life when you asked me out. You regret that you never stayed with Karin. All this time we've been fighting, you've been comparing me to her! I'm not her! I will never be her! I didn't force you to date me! I didn't even beg you to stay! I was the idiot that thought we'd be together forever, that believed in happy ever after, but you didn't!" Naruto said, unable to stop the pain from coming through.

"I love you,"

"But you hate that you love me." Naruto stopped him again, holding his hand out when Sasuke came toward him. "You hate me."

"Naruto, please. Don't do this. Don't-" Sasuke begged. "God, I can't sleep without you. I can't eat. I can't even function. I haven't been to work. I haven't-"

"Something else I'm to blame for?" Naruto whispered, looking toward the ground. "I'm sorry I ever came into your life, to your school. I'm sorry that we met. I'm sorry that I ever said yes to you. And I'm sorry that I love you despite all of that."

"No, Naruto-" Sasuke said, his heart shattering with the expression on Naruto's face. His lover looked like a man on the brink of jumping. Just one more step and he'd go over. Sasuke didn't want that. He wanted his Naruto back. His beautiful wonderful angel. He wanted those arms to hold him again and that voice to say his name with so much love and devotion it could break him in two.

"I have to go. Menma's waiting for me and my dad has to go to work." Naruto said, walking down the stairs.

In a desperate move, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm and stopped him before he could reach the bottom. Turning the other around, he wrapped his arm around Naruto's waist and shoved his hand into his lover's hair. The kiss he gave his beloved was one that spoke of so many emotions. Said more then Sasuke could say himself with any amount of words. It was one that told of no ending, just the beginning of better things to come.

For a moment, he thought he won. The way Naruto kissed him back, the way he held him said as much. But that moment quickly ended when Naruto pulled away, a cry escaping his lips as he ran down the stairs, picking up the little suitcase from the ground as he did so.

Not wanting to lose his lover again, Sasuke ran after him, barely reaching the door first as his hand slammed into it when Naruto wrenched it open. At the speed he was going, his body skidded, forcing Naruto into the door and tearing a grunt from the other. Breathing in the familiar, soothing scent wafting off his lover, Sasuke closed his eyes, simply standing behind Naruto, both hands on either side of the blonde, caging him in. Turning his head a little, he kissed Naruto's neck and continued to run his lips over every piece of skin he could touch.

"Don't make me lose you. Don't make me let go." he whispered as Naruto shivered under him. "Please forgive me for my stupid, idiotic mistake. Please, don't end this between us. Please come home."

"I...can't, Sasuke." Naruto answered sounding as if he was trying hard not to cry. Not liking that one bit, Sasuke wrapped his arms lovingly around his lover. Trying so hard to comfort him. "Please, if you loved me at all-"

"I love you more then anything. I could never use the words loved when it comes to you because you aren't ever leaving my heart." Sasuke said frantically.

"Then let me go." Naruto said in answer, turning his head away when Sasuke tried to force the other to look at him.

"No." Sasuke bit out, turning Naruto around completely and holding his arms over his head. Forcing Naruto to meet his gaze, Sasuke flinched at the pain he saw in his lover's eyes. "You are everything to me."

"If that was true, you would never have been with Karin." Naruto said shoving him away hard enough that Sasuke hit the side table, sending papers falling to the floor.

"I was a fool!" Sasuke shouted, "Naruto-"

"The only fool is me, Sasuke. I'm the fool for believing you! I'm the fool for wanting to come back home! I'm the fool that's having your baby!" Naruto screamed, freezing with those words.

"Having... you're pregnant?" Sasuke whispered, looking down in shock at Naruto's stomach.

"I..." Naruto stumbled unable to answer.

"You're having a baby?" Sasuke asked again, shock unable to turn to anything else.

"I...I wanted to tell you a different way. I wanted to surprise you." Naruto said softly, his smile looking anything but happy. Licking his lips, he faced Sasuke. "I thought this would bring our family together again." with a shake of his head, he opened the door, "I'm sorry for tying the knot tighter around your neck. Just let me find a place and Menma, me, and the baby will be out of here for good. Just give me a few days and I'll figure something out."

"I don't want you out! I want you here! Naruto-"

"Bye, Sasuke." Naruto stopped him as he left.

"Naruto..." Sasuke said softly when the door closed between them, once more taking his lover away from his view. A baby. They were having a baby.

DA

"Look, you could stay here." Minato said as he put on his uniform, declaring him the mananger of the local technology store. The positon he gained when he transferred here all those years ago, bringing Naruto with him. If not for the death of his mom, Naruto knew his dad would have stayed where they were but with memories of his mom everywhere, his dad had wanted to escape. Moving closer to his half brother had been their only choice. "You two can take the bed."

"Dad, you barely fit yourself." Naruto said as he sat on the couch, Menma taking a nap on his father's bed. The scene with Sasuke earlier playing in his mind. God how he wished it would all just fade. Seeing Sasuke like that had broke his heart. Had made him want to go home again, but he couldn't.

"Naruto, you can't keep sleeping in a hotel. Those places aren't for children. Menma needs a stable home. If not here, you could always stay with your uncle."

"Uncle's out of town, remember?" Naruto said.

"I thought he just got back?" Minato frowned.

"He's a trucker, he gets called out all the time."

"What about Deidara's then?"

"I already told you why I can't stay there." Naruto sighed. "Deidara already has three kids to take care of."

"Naruto, you don't need to be stressing. Not in your condition." Minato said, sitting beside his son. "Look, what if you talked to Sasuke-"

"Would you have talked to mom if she cheated on you?" Naruto asked. "If she had been seeing someone for months or even longer, comparing you to them?"

"Your mother and I had a solid relationship. We never had that problem, but Naruto, if that had happened, I would still talk to your mother. I would have swallowed my pride because I loved her enough to do it." Minato said. "You love Sasuke. I know you do. I have never seen such determination on your face when you told me that you were pregnant and you weren't going to leave him no matter what I said. I know you're stubbern, but I also know you love Sasuke. Talk to him, find out everything from him before you decide if this relationship is worth ending or not. I can't make your choices for you, no matter how badly I wish to. Even if I wish to slap that boy silly for doing this to you, I can't keep jumping in when I know you aren't sure of what you wish to come of it. It's your choice what you do, and I can't stop you either way. Naruto, I know how you think, but even then I'm still at a loss."

"Dad," Naruto said when his father stood to leave.

"Yes?"

"What if I wanted to go home?" Naruto asked softly, wanting to just run from everything. Not wanting to think about any of this. What if he started over? Started from a different slate?

"If that's what you wish, I think it's best for Menma-"

"No, not home to him, but home." at Minato's confused look, Naruto said, "Home to mom."

**A/N: a little rushed, but I believe that in a situation like this, I'm sure many people make rash decisions and try to just rush through the pain as they look for a way out.**

**Anyway this chapter kind of went a different way then what I was imagining but then I realized the way I wanted this to go, the idea I had, would fit better with my other story 'Before We Shatter' (a Hidan/Haku fic of mine.)**


	4. Chapter 4

**4**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Naruto, what are you saying?" Minato asked, his eyes wide as his face paled. "You can't... what about Menma? He needs you!"

"Well, Menma will go with me." Naruto said, unsure of why his dad looked on the verge of screaming or crying. For heaven sakes, it wasn't like he couldn't come back.

"No, I forbid this, You will not... I won't allow this! Naruto, what you're talking about is murder! You have a baby coming! Do you think killing yourself and Menm-"

"What are _you_ talking about?" Naruto gaped. "I'm not going to kill myself! And I am not killing my son either!"

"You said you wanted to go to your mom! What am I supposed to think!" Minato shouted back, his emotions seeming to be all over the place, his mind too foggy to make any sense or breathe correctly.

"You thought..." Laughing, Naruto stood up and hugged his panting father. "Dad, I"m not going to kill myself or my children. I meant go home as in go back to our home town. Go back to where I was born and grew up at. Go and visit mom's grave and let Menma finally meet her."

"Oh..." Minato flushed, hugging his son. Now he felt like an idiot. To think Naruto of all people would end his life because of a failing marriage. "I see... what about Sasuke?"

"I'll go without him." Naruto stiffened. "I don't need his permission to take my son home with me."

"How long will you be gone?" Minato asked, not wanting to press the issue. Although if he was in a better mindset, one that wasn't thoughts about his son's demise, he would have.

"I don't know." Naruto shrugged, walking toward the little kitchen. "Maybe a few days...or maybe I'll just move there, you know. I mean I still have friends there and... Kakashi lives there. He's been wanting us to visit and to meet his new boyfriend."

"Kakashi's too old for a boyfriend." Minato rolled his eyes as he thought of the younger man. Kakashi was their old next door neighbor, only seven years older then Naruto. When Kakashi was ten, his mother had passed away and his father didn't take it quite well. So from ten to eighteen, Kakashi had pretty much been living with him and Kushina, both showing Kakashi the loving support of a family that he no longer had in his own home. He had a room and everything at their place. Hell, Minato or Kushina even went to all of his parent/teacher confrencess and games. At his graduation, they had been there cheering him on. When he went to college, they had taken him to tour the school, and on holidays, he always came back to visit them. He even called Minato and Kushina mom and dad, even to this day, he referred to them as his parents. And his own father didn't seem to care, heck he didn't seem to notice or remember that Kakashi was his son. When he died, they had all went to his funeral but Kakashi had only said his good-byes and never looked back. When Kushina had died, Kakashi had cried right along with him and Naruto.

When Minato had decided to move a then fifteen, almost sixteen, year old Naruto and himself away, Kakashi had opted to stay, unable to leave his second mother. He had bid them good-bye with tears in his eyes. Sure he had come to visit them, even staying a few weeks at a time, but since their move, both Minato and Naruto had never been back, though Kakashi tried to get them to return.

Sometimes Minato wanted to go back, to live in the place he himself had grown up in. To live where he met his wife at only ten on the playground. To live where he had gained his first kiss by the lake. To live where Kushina had blushed brightly when he finally gained the courage to tell her he loved her. And yes he would love to live in the town where they planned to raise all of their future children and grow old together.

But then just thinking about packing his things and going back was like a bucket of ice water. Just the thought of living in a place where his other half was no longer beside him hurt so bad it felt like he'd die.

"First he was too young, now he's too old?" Naruto asked with a grin. "You gotta make up your mind, old man."

"He was too young at the time. His first relationship was when he was thirteen!" Minato stressed. He remembered that one well. It was hell on him because Kakashi was his son and the thought of him dating anyone that would hurt him, drove him crazy. Kushina had called him a fool and told him to leave Kakashi alone. In answer, Minato had turned to Naruto and said he was too young for a boyfriend.

Of course when Naruto turned thirteen, Kakashi had become the big brother that younger siblings would hate. It was Kakashi and Minato, though mostly Kakashi, that had kept Naruto single through his junior high years and his first year of highschool. Of course had Minato known that Naruto would get a boyfriend almost instantly when they moved, six months after Kushina's death, he would have...  
What would he had done? He wasn't in the right mind-set to even tell what was going on when Naruto started dating Sasuke. Heck he highly doubted Naruto was in the right mind-set when he said yes to Sasuke. When Minato had learned of Sasuke, three months after his son started dating him, he had wanted to strangle him. He had even started to call up Kakashi to teach the kid a lesson, but then Minato had seen his son with the boy, and realized that Sasuke had been good for him. His son-in-law had pulled Naruto out of his depression, bringing a smile to his face that had been missing since the beginning of Kushina's illness and then her death.

Of course he had still called Kakashi up, and had Kakashi been able to he would have come and had the talk with Sasuke about hurting his little brother. The talk happened almost seven weeks after that, much to the amusement of Minato and the annoyance of Naruto.

When Kakashi had learned of Naruto's pregnancy, he had flown right over and almost strangled Sasuke, that was a day that Minato would never forget. Just thinking of it brought a smile to his lips.

"Dad, you zoned out again." Naruto said, breaking him from his memories.

"What were we talking about?" Minato asked.

"About Kakashi being too young and too old. But before that, me going back." Naruto said getting serious.

"Naruto...you're my son and I want what's best for you." Minato started, "But running won't be the answer. Sooner or later everything catches up and it'll be worse by then."

"I'm not running... I'm just... I don't want to see him. I don't want to go back, not like this. I know if I'm here, I'll end up going back the next time I see him. I love him, dad," Naruto said wiping at his eyes, "But I don't know if I can forgive him. And I know if I go back today, tomorrow, the next day or whenever, it won't get better, not for me. I'll always wonder if he's seeing someone else when he's not home. I don't want that. I don't want to wonder about what he's doing or who he's with when he's not with me. I can't live like that."

"What about Menma or the baby?" Minato asked, trying to see Naruto's side of this. His son was thinking logical, and Minato completely agreed with him but sometimes logic needed to be tweeked a bit.

"I want to think of Menma and the baby, but sometimes I need to think about me. I know it's selfish but I need to think about what's best for me. I'm part of this family too. I love my children and want them to be happy, but I know that I won't be. I know I'll make our lives misrable, and end up hurting them more. I don't want my children to suffer, wondering why mommy's crying when daddy leaves." Naruto said, taking a deep breath to calm himself. God the pregnancy was already making him very emotional and that's the last thing he needed when he was emotional enough as it was. "If I go back home, I know things will only get worse."

"And Sasuke?" Minato asked, watching his son struggling and unable to do anything but try to be the voice of reason as he moved to hold him close. "Are you going to just leave without telling him?"

"I don't know... I don't know what to do with him or about us." Naruto cried, giving up on holding back his tears. "Dad, I'm scared of what to do next. I'm scared of leaving, but I'm more scared of staying. I want us to work, but I can't think of how to fix us. Loving somebody only does so much."

"Shhhh," Minato said, moving to sit on the couch, pulling Naruto to sit on his lap like he used to when he was a child. "I know this is a hard choice, Naruto. I know you're trying to think of the best solution for all of you. But you know that as much as you love him, he loves you back. I know you don't believe that right now, but Sasuke and you have been together since you were teenagers. Most relationships aren't all smooth, many times you face things you wish you didn't. This is one of those times and I believe the both of you will come out stronger then before."

"Are you telling me to go back to him?" Naruto whispered through his tears, allowing his father to run gentle fingers through his hair.

"I'm not telling to leave or go back." Minato decided after a while and much thought. "I'm just saying that I want you to be happy with whichever choice you make. If you want to go visit home then do so, but let Sasuke know. Or let him go with you."

"Dad, I'm trying to get away from him. I just told you that I won't be able to handle seeing him yet-"

"Naruto," Minato started, "I know what you said, but this would be good for both of you. I'm not saying welcome him back with open arms, I'm just saying that you both need to face where you want to go in your relationship. Together. If by the time you come back from your vacation and things haven't changed, then I'll take a step back and let you make your next choice on your own."

"And if I fall in love with him again?" Naruto whispered.

"You're already in love with him." Minato said evenly. "Think of this as therapy for the both of you. In fact, you can pretend your single and he's single and your both interested in each other. Kind of like when you first met."

"He wasn't single, he was dating Karin." Naruto said bitterly.

"Son, that boy was single even when he was dating her." Minato said. "From what I heard Itachi say, Sasuke started being single when you came into his life. He may have dated her for however many years, but the second he saw you, he fell in love."

"If that's true, did he fall back in love with her, and become _single _when he saw her again?" Naruto asked, not liking his father's new arguement. It just made him feel worse about himself and their whole life together. Was the only good thing they had really just their children? Wasn't there anything perfect about them as a couple?

"No, he won't ever be single again, but my reasoning, and only mine, mind you, is that he didn't go see Karin because of an old flame or a long lost love that was born again."

"Then why?" Naruto demanded. Why else would someone go cheat on their spouse if not for an old flame? Sasuke wasn't held at gun point to see her, to do whatever he did with her. He was a free man to do as he wished, and maybe that was Naruto's mistake. Maybe he had been too trusting toward his husband.

"Remember this is just my thoughts, and I have discussed this with Kakashi as well so it's partly his too, and no Kakashi isn't coming to kick his ass so get that worried look off your face." Minato chuckled as his son's eyes widen at that.

"You just said ass." Naruto said in shock.

"Yes I did, now listen. Both Kakashi and I believe that Sasuke allowed his future to pass him by because he loved you enough and your child enough not to want to lose you when he went to college. When Karin came back to town, she may have wanted her lost love, but Sasuke wanted only the life he put away when he became a father. Sure he could have gone, but you remember what happened with Deidara and Sasori? Maybe he's afraid if he left, he would have lost both you and his baby to another man. That when he came back he would find you in love with someone else and Menma calling someone else daddy."

"I love Sasuke, I wouldn't have done that. That's... not even the same thing. Sasori broke it off with Deidara and Deidara moved on. Sasuke and I weren't ending our relationship." Naruto said, not believe his dad's reasoning. Sasuke gave up his future because he became stuck. He married Naruto and became a father, not out of fear but a mix of love and obligation. Even when Naruto had told him to go to school, Sasuke had said no, saying his place was with his family.

"I know, but he could have felt that way, even if he didn't know it himself. Maybe he still doesn't know it and forgot about why he refused to go away for school. Either way," Minato said as Naruto stood up and moved to the fridge to get a bottle of water, "I think the both of you should work this out together. I love you, and I love him too, and I want the best for you and my grandkids. I think a trip like this is exactly what you need. In fact, I'll give Kakashi a call and let him know you're coming and to prepare a room for the three of you."

"I didn't say Sasuke was going with us!" Naruto said quickly but his dad was already reaching for the phone. "Don't you have to go to work?"

"Yes, but it can wait. I'm the manager and the boss is a good friend of mine, I'm sure he'll understand why I'm late- hello, Kakashi..."

DA

"Thanks for this," Sasuke said into the phone as he quickly packed a bag. God, he was so nervous and happy. Naruto had called him only twenty minutes ago about a trip to his hometown. Though he didn't seem happy about it, or sound as if he wanted him along, Sasuke had jumped at the chance to go. He had countered everything Naruto said as his lover tried to find reasons for him not to go. He knew Minato was behind this, but Sasuke didn't care, he'd kiss the man if he stood in front of him. Since Naruto was leaving in another ten minutes, Sasuke wanted to hurry up and meet his lover at Minato's place to pick him up before Naruto changed his mind and left without him. Not that that would matter since Sasuke would just follow after him.

"Not a problem," Kisame said from the other end, the sounds of music, laughter and shouting coming in from the background. "Not like you were doing any good here."

"I'm sorry-" Sasuke started, feeling guilty but not enough to smother the happiness he felt at seeing Naruto, being with him for the next two weeks. The happiness about holding his little boy and finally ending the agony of not seeing Menma for the last four days he had been gone.

"Don't be, the shop will run without you fiddling with cars." Kisame cut him off. "Now go win back your wife and don't fuck it up again." was his boss's orders before the phone clicked as Kisame hung up.

"I won't." Sasuke grinned, tossing the phone onto the bed as he zipped up his bag. Looking himself over in the mirror, now clean shaven and showered, he nodded. He may have lost a little weight, but that didn't matter. He'd soon have Naruto back and be able to fix all of this. Fuck whoever that tried to stop him from winning back the love of his life. Naruto was his and he was Naruto's.


	5. Chapter 5

**5**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Sasuke had barely turned the car off before the front door to Minato's home was thrown open and Menma came flying out.

Not one to linger, Sasuke tossed off his seatbelt and jumped out of the car, catching his baby boy as he jumped. With a laugh, he swung his son around in circles, holding him close as he kissed him all over his face.

"Daddy!" Menma shouted again, hugging him. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Menma." Sasuke said, fighting back his tears as he closed his eyes tightly. Oh god, he missed this. Missed holding his son. How had he survived days without his Menma? How had he survived without hearing a word from his son or seeing a hair on his head? "I love you, baby. Daddy loves you."

"I love you too, daddy," Menma grinned as he pulled back, struggling only a little when Sasuke hesitated in releasing his hold slightly. "I'm happy you're here, daddy."

"I'm happy too, son." Sasuke grinned, letting his tears fall as Menma looked at him with eyes he had seen in the mirror. On Menma they were so much more beautiful. They were innocent and perfect.

"Daddy," Menma whispered, losing his smile.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"Don't go away, please. Don't leave us."

Feeling his heart break at his son's pleas, Sasuke could only nod his head and force down the clog in his throat. His tears were building again and he couldn't do a thing to stop it. "I won't, baby. You and Mommy are mine forever." he whispered back, unable to speak any louder. "Forever and ever."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Sasuke forced a smile, kissing Menma's forehead. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke closed his eyes.

"Hello, Sasuke." Minato called out, a smile on his face. "I'm sorry I can't stay long, but I'm already late. I'll be taking the van, and you three are taking my truck. It's all gassed up and ready to go. Keys are on the counter and my gas card is in the glove box."

"Okay." Sasuke grinned, walking toward the man as Menma rested on his hip. "Thank you, Minato. I don't... I..."

"Trust me, had you been anyone else, I would be shoving, Menma plug your ears, my foot so far up your ass, it would come out of your throat." Minato continued on with the same cheerful smile. "You have eleven hours of driving ahead of you, please use it to win my son's trust again. Should you come back as you left, know that though I'd still see you as my son, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Gulping slightly, Sasuke nodded, allowing his father-in-law to hug him.

"Take care of him. Naruto doesn't need more heartbreak." Minato whispered into his ear. "Seeing his mother... seeing her again is already hard enough."

"I'll take care of him." Sasuke promised the man, knowing how close Naruto was to his mother. From the stories Naruto had told, when he could speak without crying, Kushina had been everything to the Namikaze family. She had been the kind of mother Naruto wanted to be, and Sasuke knew that all of Naruto's ways were from the woman.

"Thank you." Minato pulled away, blinking the tears away as he headed toward Naruto's van. " "Say hi to Kakashi for me...Oh and Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Have fun with Kiba." the older man grinned over his shoulder as he got into the van. Before Sasuke could ask who Kiba was, the van was gone.

"Do you know who Kiba is?" he asked Menma. Getting a negative shake in answer, Sasuke turned toward the house, taking one step and freezing. Naruto looked as beautiful as ever. Sasuke wished so badly to be poetic in his thoughts, but no matter what he thought, nothing could compare to what he wanted in able to describe his lover. "Naruto..." he said, a smile forming on his face as he moved toward his lover.

Without a word, Naruto turned away from him, grabbing a bag from beyond the door before closing and locking it. "Menma, let's get you in your booster seat." he said as he moved toward Minato's truck.

"Do you need to go to the house to pack anything more?" Sasuke asked walking after his lover, forcing a smile on his face. "I packed a few things for you and Menma but-"

"I have what I need." Naruto answered.

"Naruto-"

"Come on, Menma. We're going to see Uncle Kakashi." Naruto cut him off, smiling at their son, holding out his arms.

"I got him. I don't want to risk putting to much weight on your stomach." Sasuke said quickly, stepping back from Naruto. There was no way in hell he'd risk anything happening to their baby.

"My stomach is fine." Naruto bit out, his eyes narrowing in anger.

"Just to be on the safe side," Sasuke countered as he stepped around Naruto and put Menma in his seat, buckling him up quickly. Grabbing the bag Naruto brought out, he tossed it in the back of the truck before going to his own vehical and grabbing his own duffle bag. Putting that in the bed of the truck, he went to help Naruto in only to find his lover sitting in the back beside Menma.

Climbing behind the wheel, Sasuke pulled his seat belt on and turned to look at his little family. "You ready?"

"Yeah!" Menma nodded, grinning brightly. "We're going to see Uncle Kashi!"

"That's right." Sasuke smiled, looking at Naruto. "Naruto-"

"Just go, Sasuke. Please... Please just go."

DA

"I don't want a sister." Menma was saying as Sasuke talked to him about the baby to come. Naruto was fast asleep on the backseat, for once unguarded in Sasuke's presence. He looked so beautiful, hell, he was beautiful, Sasuke thought. Letting his gaze move to the rearview mirror again, he smiled as his eyes traveled to Naruto's flat stomach. His baby was in there. His baby. "I want a brother so I can play soccer with and football."

"Sisters can play football and soccer too." Sasuke laughed quietly, not wanting to wake Naruto. He wanted his lover to get all the rest he could. He knew from past experiances and baby books that rest was good for pregnancies.

"No they can't. They're too scared to get dirty so they can't play like boys do." Menma said with such conviction that Sasuke was tempted to believe him. "And they watch girl stuff and wear pink... and they play with dolls and give kisses all the time."

"Mommy and me give you kisses all the time." Sasuke said, biting the inside of his cheek as he drove on. He had never driven toward Naruto's hometown. He only knew where he was going by the map that had been on the front seat. The drive seemed long as the roads stretched on forever. They had left home only three hours ago, but yet it seemed as if they had been gone for days instead. The landscape was barren with mountains outlining the empty desert filled with rocks and a few small plants here and there. Following the curve of the road, Sasuke slowed down a bit. The last town they saw had been an hour away and from the sign he had just seen, another was still seventy-two miles ahead.

"That's different. Mommies and daddies are supposed to give kisses." Menma rolled his eyes, as he looked out the window. "Daddy, look a bunny!" Menma gasped when he spotted the little creature on the side of the road. "Look there's another one!"

"Would you look at that," Sasuke answered, "there are bunnies out here."

"Is mommy's house surrounded by bunnies too?" Menma asked innocently.

"Mommy's house is back there with us, remember, Menma?" Sasuke said trying not to feel hurt or angry over his son's question. There was no way in hell Naruto was living here... unless they all decided to move this way. Sasuke wouldn't mind a change and if it made Naruto happy, he'd pack them up tomorrow.

"I know, but mommy said he used to live over here. He says Uncle Kakashi lives here." Menma said.

"He did live over here, but mommy's house is with me and you."

"And my baby brother." Menma grinned.

"Or sister." Sasuke smiled at his son in the mirror, meeting the little tyke's gaze.

"No, a brother. I told mommy's belly that it better make me a brother cause if it's a sister I'm gonna send it back."

With a surprise laugh as he pictured Menma doing just that, Sasuke shook his head. "How about if you get a sister, we just tell mommy to make a brother afterwards."

"Can he do that?" Menma gasped in surprise as he looked at his sleeping mommy. He wasn't sure how his mommy was growing a baby in him, but if he could do it again and again, did that mean he could get a lot of brothers? He supposed it made sense since he had three cousins from his cousin Deidara, but... "How do they get in him?"

"They, uh, they..." what the hell was he supposed to say? Menma was too young for the baby talk. He couldn't exactly come out and say 'well, son, me and mommy will get naked and have some private time and get all sweaty. When we're done, a baby will be growing in mommy's belly. By the way you were made that way too.' And supposed he did do that, he just knew that Menma would want to know what private time was and then Sasuke would be having the sex talk with a four year old. "Um... well you see..."

"Mommy says that when mommies and daddies love each other, a baby grows in the mommy's belly." Menma said as he watched in confusion as his daddy struggled to speak, maybe he was just as confused about the process as Menma. He knew that mommies and daddies had to love each other, but what if they didn't? What if after this baby, his mommy and daddy didn't love each other anymore?

"Yes, that's exactly right!" Sasuke said quickly, thanking Naruto over and over in his head. God how did he not think of that?

"Do you love mommy?" Menma asked suddenly.

"I will always love mommy." Sasuke said without hesitation, wishing he could pull over and reassure both his son and his wife. Why would Menma ask such a thing? Had Naruto said something? No Naruto wouldn't say anything to hurt Menma. Did his son hear something when he wasn't supposed to?

"Good, cause then if mommy's belly makes a girl, you and mommy can love each other again and give me a brother." Menma said with relief. "Hey daddy?"

"Yeah?" Sasuke asked, moving to pass a semi, feeling his own relief at Menma's words. Maybe he was reading too much into his question.

"I have to use the potty now."

DA

"Naruto?"

At the sound of his name, Naruto groaned and cuddled closer to the hand against his cheek. Feeling a few light nibbles on his lips, he smiled softly.

"Naruto, love, we're at the next truck stop."

"Truck stop?" Naruto frowned as he blinked his eyes open. With a gasp he pulled back quickly when he saw Sasuke's face a few inches away from his own. It hurt to see his husband so close, to know that if he wanted to he could just reach out and kiss him. But the thought of wondering if it was real or not... that hurt even more.

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded, pain clearly in his eyes. Naruto wanted to wipe the pain away from his husband, but he just couldn't. "Do you need to use the restroom?"

"Yeah. Menma-"

"Mommy, hurry up, I'm hungry!" Menma said as he held onto Sasuke's belt loop, his other hand shaking Naruto's thigh. "And there's a Burger King inside!"

"Menma, you know you're not allowed to have fast-foods." Sasuke said before Naruto could.

"But it's not gonna be fast. There's a line and it's getting longer!" Menma said as he looked around the open door barely seeing inside the window to the buger stand. He had never had Burger King. The only fast food he had was when Uncle Kakashi came to town and took them all out to eat at Mcdonalds. His mommy made everything homemade and Menma loved that, but he wanted to be like his friends that got to eat at fast-food places.

"He's right about that one." Sasuke chuckled as he looked toward the building. "We must have stopped durning rush hour."

"We have food in the car." Naruto said, and as one they each looked toward the cooler filled with healthy snacks.

"Mommy, please?" Menma begged, giving both parents the ultimate look of begging. He knew that his Mommy had final say. He could have turned toward his daddy and his daddy would have caved and tried to convince his mommy, but he didn't want his mommy to be mad at his daddy anymore.

"Alright." Naruto said, smiling down at him. "But once we get to Kakashi's, it's back to home cooked meals only."

"YES!" Menma cheered.

Naruto smiled down at his son as he got out of the truck, wishing Sasuke would move farther back then the one small step he took. When he got both feet on the ground, he gasped as Menma pulled him forward, straight into Sasuke, as his son hugged them both, smiling up at them. "You're the best mommy ever!"

"The very best." Sasuke whispered into his ear as he kissed his cheek, as he hugged him briefly before releasing him. With a smile on his lips, Sasuke picked Menma back up and headed inside.

Trying to curb his beating heart, Naruto sighed. He knew this would happen. He knew he'd give into Sasuke even when he knew he shouldn't. He should have just left without Sasuke, stayed away from him and thought out what he wanted to do. This reminded him like the daisy. When he was younger he'd pull off the petals one by one as he said, "He loves me. He loves me not." And he knew once he got to the last petal, if he didn't spend time away from his husband, he'd land on the petal that could hurt him more in the long run.


End file.
